Mean differenes assignment | CJUS 745 – Quantitative Methods of Research | Liberty University

This
assignment has three parts and uses the Florida
County Government. sav dataset. Load the data set into SPSS.

RQ 3: Is there a significant
difference in the percent of total spending that is environmental spending
between coastal counties and non-coastal counties?

·       
H₀3:
There is no statistically significant difference in the percent of total
spending that is environmental spending between coastal counties and
non-coastal counties.

·       
H_a3:
There is a statistically significant difference in the percent of total
spending that is environmental spending between coastal counties and
non-coastal counties.

1.     
Open
the data file Florida County Government.
sav. 

2.     
Perform
an error bar plot first. 

3.     
Click
on Graphs/Legacy Dialogs/Error Bar. 

4.     
Click
on Simple button and then radio button “summaries for groups of cases” then
click on Define. 

5.     
Move
to Variable box on the right the dependent variable Average % Envir. Spending in Total spending (AverageEnvirTotal). 

6.     
Move
Coastal Area or Not to Category Axis
box.  This is the independent groups
variable. There are two groups: coastal county=1 and not coastal county=0. 

7.     
Click
OK.

8.     
Edit the
error bar plot by adding data labels and title.

9.     
Follow
directions in Cronk and in the resources provided. What do you think from that
plot you would expect to find in an independent samples t-test?

10.  Now, perform an independent t
samples t-test with:

o  
coastal (1)/non-coastal county (0) as your independent variable groups
and;

o  
Average % Envir. Spending in Total
spending (AverageEnvirTotal) as your dependent
variable. 

11.  Use Cronk and resources provided to
interpret the results of the Levene’s test of assumed equal variances and then
interpret the t-test results and report based on the testing of your
hypotheses. 

RQ 4: Is there a significant
difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county
type (metro/suburban/rural)?           

·       
H₀4:
There is no statistically significant difference in the intergovernmental
revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/suburban/rural).

·       
H_a4:
There is a statistically significant difference in the intergovernmental
revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/suburban/rural).

1.     
Open
the data file Florida County Government.
sav.

2.     
Perform
an error bar plot first.

3.     
Move
to Variable box on the right the dependent variable intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR).

4.     
Move
county type (metro/suburban/rural) to
Category Axis box.  This is the
independent groups variable. There are three groups.

5.     
Click
OK.

6.     
Edit the
error bar plot by adding data labels and title. Follow directions in Cronk and
in the resources provided. What do you think from that plot you would expect to
find in a One-Way ANOVA test?

7.     
Now,
perform a One-Way ANOVA test with:

o  
County
type as your independent variable groups and;

o  
Intergovernmental
revenue growth rate (IGR Growth rate) as your dependent variable.

8.     
Run
post-hoc tests as well.

9.     
Use
Cronk and resources provided to interpret the results of the Levene’s test of
assumed equal variances, interpret the One-Way ANOVA results, interpret the
results of post-hoc tests, and produce a report based on the testing of your
hypotheses.

RQ 5: Controlling for political
orientation (political), is there a significant difference in the
intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type
(metro/suburban/rural)?

·       
H₀5:
Controlling for political orientation (political), there is no statistically
significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based
on county type (metro/ suburban/rural).

·       
H_a5:
Controlling for political orientation (political), there is a statistically
significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based
on county type (metro/suburban/rural).

1.     
Perform
an error bar plot first.  What do you
think from that plot you would expect to find in an ANCOVA test? 

2.     
Then,
perform an ANCOVA test with:

a.     
County type as your independent variable groups,
political as your covariate, and;

b.     
Intergovernmental revenue growth
rate (IGR Growth rate) as your dependent
variable.

General
Instructions

As
doctoral students, your assignments are expected to follow the principles of
high-quality scientific standards and promote knowledge and understanding in
the field of public administration. You should apply a rigorous and critical
assessment of a body of theory and empirical research, articulating what is
known about the phenomenon and ways to advance research about the topic under
review. Research syntheses should identify significant variables, a systematic
and reproducible search strategy, and a clear framework for studies included in
the larger analysis.

Manuscripts
should not be written in first person (“I”). All material should be 12-point,
Times New Roman type, double-spaced with margins of one inch.

All
manuscripts should be clearly and concisely written, with technical material
set off. Please do not use jargon, slang, idioms, colloquialisms, or
bureaucratese. Use acronyms sparingly and spell them out the first time you use
them. Please do not construct acronyms from phrases you repeat frequently in
the text.

Structure
of Assignment Paper

1.     
Use
the following structure for your research article: Abstract, Introduction,
Literature Review/Theory, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.
Include a robust discussion section distinct from your conclusion.

2.     
Give
your article a Title that is both descriptive and inviting to
prospective readers. Your article title should appeal to both scholars and
practitioners. Use a shortened version of the main idea of your article in the
title.

3.     
Your
Abstract should inform readers what your article is about and its most
important findings. Readers, including scholars and practitioners, should be
able to understand your topic, argument, and conclusions. Make your abstract
straightforward and do not use technical language or jargon.

4.     
In
the Lit Review/Theory, cite only literature and theory pertinent to the
specific issue and not those that are of only tangential or general
significance. When summarizing earlier works, avoid nonessential details;
instead, emphasize pertinent findings, relevant methodological issues, and
major conclusions. Citation of relevant earlier literature is a  sign of scholarly responsibility and it is
critical for the growth of a doctoral student in public administration.

5.     
Methods: The Methods section “describes in
detail how the study was conducted, including conceptual and operational definitions
of the variables used in the study. Different types of studies will rely on
different methodologies; however, a complete description of the methods used
enables the reader to evaluate the appropriateness of your methods and the
reliability and the validity of your results” (APA current edition).  Include a description of your sample size and
procedure, participants, how data collected, and research design.

6.     
Results include data analysis used,
results of the analysis including tables and figures.

7.     
Discussion section includes interpretations
from the analysis. How do your analyses relate to the results found by scholars
in your lit review/theory section. In this section, evaluate and interpret
their implications, especially with respect to your original hypotheses.

8.     
Provide
a distinct Conclusion that tells readers what you found, why it is
important, and what difference it will make for research and practice. Ensure
you separate your discussion section from the conclusion of the article.
Synthesize your article; do not summarize it. Show readers how the pieces of
your article fit together. Answer the question “So what?” Why is your article
significant, and how is it relevant?